AACR 2- 1988 revised - L C descriptive rules:

Anglo-American cataloging rules/ prepared under the direction of the Joint Steering Committee for Revision of AACR, a committee of the American Library Association, the Australian Committee on Cataloguing, the British Library, the Canadian Committee on Cataloguing the Library Association, the Library of Congress; edited by Michael Gorman and Paul,W Winkler. - 2nd ed., 1988 revision. - Ottawa: Canadian Library Association; London : Library Association Publishing Limited; Chicago: American Library Association, 1988.  

The implementation of AACR 2 (1978) code was begun by the Library of Congress in Jan 1981. Like the earlier edition (AACR1), the second edition too appeared at a time when there were rapid developments taking place. More important and of greater immediate relevance was the emergence of many new forms of material which were still in shaping. 

AIthough the code (AACR2) resolved the problems of authorship more satisfactorily, the rules were found inadequate in dealing with new media. In course of implementation of the code, some rules presented themselves as confusing, insufficient and complicated. This gave rise to differences in interpretation. Therefore, attempts were made to clarify, expand or alter rules in necessary cases. The Library of Congress notified the interpretations and modifications in its Cataloguing service bulletin. 

Three sets of revisions of AACR 2 comprising of Geographical corrections, Textual amendments, and altered and additional rules were issued in 1982, 1984 and 1986. These were followed also by a draft revision of chapter .9 for computer files. The code too came into wider use and found translations in many languages (e.g., Arabic, Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese, Danish, Finnish, French, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish,Turkish, Urdu and possibly others) In view of the changes and additions that were brought out and the growing popularity and use of the code, it was decided to revise it. The revised code, it was further decided, to be named as AACR 2, 1988 revision and not as 3rd edition. The revision sought to incorporate the additions and modifications already made as well as further revisions contemplated, viz., description of material for the blind (tactile), rethinking of the concept of separate bibliographical identities, treatment of titles, author headings, geographic names and corporate bodies, corrections, rewording and addition of new examples. 

The revision, therefore, did not result either in the change of basic concepts, principles or structure. While the prominent changes applied to computer files, other changes related to the material for the blind, sound recordings, music, etc. In order to achieve greater conformity in establishing headings, a few rules were changed. These changes include redetermining of title proper, redesignation of GMD in a few instances, addition of distinctions in the rules for choice of pseudonyms, deletion of option to qualify place names (by adding larger areas/ jurisdictions), addition of geographical identifiers to identical corporate bodies, redefining the type 3 subordinate corporate body, recasting of uniform titles, entry additionally under corporate name (other than publisher, distributor, etc.) in the case of some cartographic material, etc.  

The rules are presented in two parts (as was the case also in the 2nd ed). Part one consists of descriptive rules in 13 chapters. Chapter 1 has the general rules which provide the general frame within which descriptive rules for specific classes of material follow. Chapter 13 also contains general rules for analysis of specific types. These are as follows Part 1 Description: Chapters 1. General rules of description, 2. Books, Pamphlets and Monographs; 3. Cartographic Materials, 4 Manuscripts (including manuscript collections), 5. Music (Published music), 6. Sound Recordings, 7. Motion Pictures and Video Recordings, 8. Cartographic Materials, 9. Computer Files, 10. Three-dimensional Artifacts and Realia, 11. Microform, 12. Serials and 13. Analysis 

Part 2. Headings, uniform titles and references: Chapters 21. Choice .of Access Points, 22. Headings for Persons, 23. Geographic Names, 24. Headings for Corporate Bodies, 25. Uniform Titles, and 26. References The third part constitutes the end matter. It consists of Appendixes, A. Capitalization, B. Abbreviations, C. Numerals, and D. Glossary, and an Index. Each part has one introductory chapter. The rules in the 12 chapters of part 1 (Description) have mnemonic numbering to facilitate to and fro reference to rules applying to appropriate areas. The descriptive rules are presented first, obviously because cataloguing begins with description, then follow the tasks of determination and establishment of headings. So, rules for access points, choice of forms of headings are given in the second part. The gap between Chapters 13 and 21 is left to incorporate descriptive rules for new classes of materials that may come (in which case Chapter 13 may be renumbered). In both parts the rules follow the order of general to specific. The code has provision for optional rules and alternative rules- to accommodate the varying requirements of libraries.  

The preface states that "cataloging rules cannot be static, they must be allowed to respond to changing needs". What is meant by this is that revision does not stop at any time. It goes on. Further revisions become necessary. So, for the present, AACR 2, 1988 revision is the latest in the Anglo-American family of codes. All the earlier ones stand superseded.